“Between the four walls of a school sits our future”

The Challenge of Tomorrow

We cant get to where we want to be by remaining where we are...

1. The Context for Changing our Schools

Alberta FacesContinued economic challenges

Low productivityTrade barriers being erected in relation to

the oil sands30 years of low gas prices – the basis for our

royalty revenuesHigh labour costsHigh wage expectations – Alberta in the top

10 for GDP per capita world wide

Alberta Faces• Continued demographic challenges– Fast growing number of first nations youth in

Alberta– Baby boomer retirement kicking in now – some

agencies of Government face a 40% staff loss due to retirement in the next 5 years

– Changing immigration – significant growth of immigrant communities in our cities and regions• proportion of foreign-born and visible minority

populations in Canada are projected to grow from 16 per cent to 31 per cent of the total population by 2030

Alberta FacesContinued social challenges

Elderly population make growing demands on health care system

44% of Alberta Provincial revenues in health care and growing at 6% per annum Cuts made in K-PhD to fund health systemsSystem is problematic and reform is inevitable, but

no one willing to have the conversationObesity significant threat to our social fabric

Alberta FacesEnvironmental challenges

Alberta will become the single largest CO2 emitter in Canada by 2017

Oil sands reclamation progressing slowly – creating concerns for ENGO’s

Water scarcity and water quality significant issues, especially in southern Alberta

Air quality an issueEnergy supply an issue

Alberta FacesTechnology changes are rapid

Homo-zapiens now in schoolStem cell genetics will transform health care

and raise ethical issuesNew energy sources and new transport fuels

are in development that will change our approach to energy

New devices appearing daily…

Mindful teaching challenges us to be authentic learners

2. School Change

We are looking at “informed transformation” as the agenda for change in Alberta (Inspiring Education, p.18)

We are looking at some key changes simultaneously in a variety of different areas:GovernanceCurriculum and AssessmentRole of teachers and importance of professional

developmentAccountabilityTechnology

Imagine an Alberta with educationLESS Focused on the

schoolCentered on the

systemFocused on

contentTechnology to

support teaching

MORE Focused on

educationCentred on the

learnerBuilding

competenciesTechnology to

support the creation and sharing of knowledge

And alsoLESSRules basedOperational

focusedCentral influenceAccountability to

the bureaucracy

MOREPrinciples basedGovernance

teamsLocal directionResponsibility for

learning excellence

Some Likely Changes• A new School Act in 2010/11• Changing governance – governance teams• Changing role of teachers– Personal accountability for performance of learners– More control over the curriculum– More opportunities to localize curriculum– More use of technology and project based learning

• Changing curriculum – less is more and competencies not content

• Changing accountability regime – continuous, competency based and about and for learning

• Changing how learners leverage technology for the creation of materials to aid learning and support competencies

Notice..• Each school is unique in terms of place,

community, personnel and learners – no one size fits all

• Each school is at a different place in its development – no one strategy fits all

• Each teacher needs support to be the teacher they can be – reinventing initial and ongoing professional development will be key

• Each learner has their own learning opportunities and challenges – personalizing learning and leveraging technology to help will be critical

What We Need to Start Thinking About..What will we STOP doing?What will we IMPROVE?What will we need to REDESIGN ?What will we START doing?

“If we do the same as we have always done and expect different results….”

RememberChange

Takes time (3-6 years)Is always “messy” and will involve failure as

well as successAlways involves surprises, risks and

uncertaintiesWill be of great interest to some and a turn-off

for many, especially if the changes are majorNeeds leadership and stewardship at every

levelNeeds to be owned by the community